oil capacity

[30cal4me]

I took my truck in for a oil change including a new filter. When I got the invoice it showed they used 12L. I asked them about this and they said that's what it took to bring it to the full mark on the dipstick.

The place is reputable and I have dealt there before with no problems.

Is anyone else seeing that it takes more than the owners' manual states(9.5L or 10 US quarts) to bring the level up to the full mark?

[DmaxMaverick]

10 qts/9.5L. Not 12 in any case.

Your sump is 10 qts. Period. Heat it up, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and check again. The 2005 has a closed PCV, so any overfill will go through the intake (messy!), and can cause running issues, as the engine doesn't know the difference between #2 and motor oil (it'll burn just about any oil). There have been a couple posts here in regards to "run-on" engines, which can happen with extreme overfill conditions. Not likely 2 qts will do that, but....

Early LB7's with injector issues would have had serious run-on issues if the PCV was closed, as the crankcase filled up with fuel. The result was fuel/oil being sprayed all over the underside of the truck, and huge puddles on the ground. The crankcase vent is open to atmosphere via a tube down the front of the engine.

When I have my oil changed, I give them 10 qts (Amsoil 15-40 in a 10 qt jug), tell them to put it in, and don't worry about the level on the stick. Dipstick levels can be misleading. The sumps are the same volume on all engines of a particular model (unless the pan is deformed). It's best to get a base level on the dipstick under a specific condition, and always check it under those same conditions. For example, fill your Duramax with 10 qts, idle for 5 minutes, shut off for 5 minutes and check. That will be your full level, if you check it the same way, every time. A level check immediately following a service will seldom be consistent, one change to the next.

At any rate, if it takes 12 qts to get your dipstick to show a respectible level under ideal conditions, I'd blame the inaccuracy of the dipstick before saying the engine holds 12 qts. Check the sump to be sure it isn't deformed, in that case, just to be sure.

[Jimamatic]

Ditto on what DmaxMaverick said. Put in ten quarts run it and see where it comes up on the
dumbstick. Whatever it reads is the full mark. Mine reads a little over full with ten qrts.

Jim

[Jim Brzozowski]

Triple what Jim said. I always check mine after I get home and have parked it for about 15 minutes. The oil is still warm and I know the garage floor is level enough to give me an exact (checked it with a laser level)consistent reading every time. Quick checks at fill-ups at stations are ok, but only to verify there is no problem, not for an accuracy check. No way should your engine take 12L., without being overfilled.